1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for capturing an image while moving the image pickup apparatus so as to generate a panoramic image, an image pickup method, a playback control apparatus, a playback control method, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to capture an image, widely used electronic still cameras can receive light from an object via a lens and convert the received light to an imaging signal using a solid-state image pickup element, such as a charge coupled device (CCD). Subsequently, the electronic still cameras can record the imaging signal on a recording medium and play back the recorded image signal. In addition, a large number of electronic still cameras include a monitor that displays a captured still image. The electronic still cameras select a particular one of the recorded still images and display the selected image on the monitor. In such electronic still cameras, the image capturing area captured in a single shot is a narrow area restricted by the field of view of the lens. Thus, it is difficult to capture a capturing area wider than the field of view of the lens. Accordingly, in recent years, a variety of camera systems that can capture a panoramic image have been developed.
For example, these camera systems fall in two categories: multi-lens camera systems that capture a wide-angle image at one time using a plurality of lenses and single-lens camera systems that continuously capture an image using a single lens while sequentially changing the image capturing direction. The multi-lens camera systems have an advantage that an entire panoramic image can be captured in substantially the same manner as that of an ordinary camera. However, the multi-lens camera systems have a disadvantage that the cost of the entire system is increased.
In contrast, the single-lens camera systems can capture a panoramic image at relatively low cost. Several techniques for capturing images while changing the image capturing direction have been developed. For example, a technique for shifting or rotating an image capturing system by hand at a constant speed has been developed (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-88754). In addition, a technique for repeatedly shifting or rotating and stopping an image capturing system by hand has been developed (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-88811). Furthermore, a technique for shifting or rotating and stopping an image capturing system using a stepping motor has been developed (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-333396).
In order to enjoy looking at a panoramic image captured using one of the above-described techniques, a landscape printing method (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-212693) and a scroll playback method using a television monitor (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-77800) have been developed. For example, when displaying an entire panoramic image on a television monitor, a small landscape image is displayed in a partial area of the television screen. Accordingly, it is difficult for a user to look at the detailed image. In addition, when a user wants to sequentially and automatically display a plurality of panoramic images, it is difficult for a user to look at the detailed image, since a small landscape image is displayed in a partial area of the television screen. Therefore, when a plurality of panoramic images are continuously displayed on a television monitor, the details of the entire panoramic image can be examined by scrolling the playback panoramic images.